Sambalpur: Mahammadpur village, situated 20km from here just below the Hirakud dam, is facing acute shortage of drinking water.

Once a gram panchayat situated on the outskirt of the industrial town of Hirakud under Dhankauda block, it was in 2014 brought under the jurisdiction of Sambalpur Muncipal Corporation and became ward No. 12.

"We are on other side of the Hirakud reservoir, which is full of water but we, ironically, face acute shortage of drinking water," said Judhistir Munda, a resident of the village.

The drinking water has always been a problem at the village and with its increasing population, the problem has become more acute over time. Although there are four tube wells in the village, only one is functioning while one is defunct and two other pumping up hard red-coloured water, which is unfit for consumption.

Consequently, the entire village now depends on only the only tube well.

"There is a big water body over 17 acres of land but the water in it is unfit for human consumption. Vegetation covers almost the entire area of the water body," he said.

Although the nearby Hirakud town is connected with pipe water supply, no steps have been taken to make pipe water accessible to Mahammadpur.

A large number of villagers met the sub-divisional officer, public health, Tapan Pradhan, on Saturday and submitted a memorandum demanding pipe water supply.

Commissioner of Sambalpur Municipal Corporation Bimalendu Rai said the programme had been drawn up and pipe-laying work would shortly start to make water supply available to the village.